Bonsoir Cherie
by infinity-x-forever
Summary: Set after X2. Rogue finds herself running into one of Magneto's associates on a regular basis, a Cajun by the name of Gambit.
1. Default Chapter

At Xavier's school for the gifted, most of the students were in their rooms or in the lounge, chilling out. It was 7 on a Friday night, the end of the week and all the students were looking forward to a few days of no lessons.  
  
In the girl's wing, Rogue was playing Monopoly with Jubilee, Kitty and Siren. She was winning too. Just as she was about to knock Kitty out of the game, there was a knock at the door. Jubilee jumped up to answer it. Rogue counted her fake money and was just about to make Kitty an offer she couldn't refuse.  
  
"Rogue?" Jubilee called from the door. "Bobby's here to see you."  
  
She jumped up from the game and greeted her boyfriend with a warm smile. "Hey!"  
  
"Bonsoir Madame." Bobby said charmingly, picking up her gloved hand and kissing it. She giggled. He dropped the posh act and went back to his usual teenage-boy persona. "You free tonight?"  
  
"Um..." she looked behind her. Kitty was frantically scanning the board for a way to stay in the game while Jubilee and Siren were watching herself and Bobby.  
  
"Well I spoke to Professor Xavier," he said. "He said that we can go into the city for one night, as long as we follow all the usual rules and be back before 10."  
  
"Wow, really?" Rogue said in disbelief. They were barely allowed off campus during the day, but at night!?  
  
"She'll go" Jubilee announced from behind her. Her and Kitty had their roommate's coat between them and put it over her shoulders.  
  
"C'mon," Kitty urged. "You won't get another chance to get out of here for a while. Anyway, if you go we can take all your money and properties!"  
  
Rogue laughed. "Ok, I'll go." She said, putting her arms inside her jacket and pulling her hair out from the back. "I'll see you guys later."  
  
She closed the door behind her and Bobby and walked down the hall towards the stairs, linking her arm with his. "So where we going?" 


	2. Chapter Two

In New York, there was plenty to do. Moviehouses, Bars, Clubs, the list was endless. After catching a cab into the city, arranged for them by Professor Xavier, they decided to try their luck at a nightclub, and surprisingly got in!  
  
Inside, they sat at the bar and had a few drinks before going onto the dance floor and partying. Bobby didn't have a clue how to dance, but it was funny watching him. Rogue, on the other hand, shook her hair about and generally let loose, blending in easily with the rest of the crowd. Unfortunately, she had to wear her long gloves and a long-sleeved top so she wouldn't make skin-to-skin contact with anyone.  
  
After an hour and a half, they decided to chill out by the side with their drinks.  
  
"If Professor Xavier knew we were in a club drinking alcohol, he'd never let us out again!" Rogue commented, sipping her drink.  
  
"Lets make the most of it then!" Bobby said, putting down his own drink, taking her hand and leading her back towards the raised level where people were dancing. She laughed and let herself be led, until Bobby stopped right in his tracks.  
  
"Whats up?" she asked, looking around.  
  
"I don't believe it..."  
  
"What is it?" she asked again, looking in the direction he was. Then she saw what had stopped him.  
  
Leaning against a wall on the other side of the room was their old school friend John. He'd gone missing after Alkali lake and had supposedly taken off with Magneto. Although it was upsetting, it wasn't surprising, Bobby had always been questioning the rules and anyone could see that he was biding his time. Now that time was up and he'd found a place where he could use his powers freely and break any rule he wanted.  
  
John, or Pyro as he liked to be called, looked as though he was here for the same reason they were, to chill out. Bobby muttered something under his breath and started towards his old friend.  
  
"Wait, what are you doing!?" Rogue exclaimed, grabbing his arm to stop him.  
  
"I'm gonna teach him that the good guys always have the last laugh."  
  
"Do you really think thats a good idea?" She spun him round to face her.  
  
"Why not?"  
  
"Because." She racked her brain for an answer but it was blank. She partially agreed, John should pay. Then she saw a good reason. "I don't think he's alone..." she trailed off, looking over her boyfriend's shoulder. Bobby turned round too, and saw that Pyro had company. A tall guy with long, brown hair tied back in a ponytail was now talking to him. Although he looked a bit older than John, they were laughing about something, like they'd known each other for years. Then Pyro pointed towards the couple and his companion looked in their direction, locking eyes with Rogue.  
  
A feeling of apprehensiveness suddenly came over her as she examined him. He had a very sharp jaw and, although she couldn't see very much due to the lack of light in the club, he looked as though he didn't have any white in his eyes. They almost looked empty. A sly smile formed across his face and she felt as though all the air was going out of the room.  
  
Shaking her head and blinking quickly to get him out of her thoughts, she took a deep breath and looked at Bobby. He had a look of anger on his face as him and John were having a staring match.  
  
"Come on" she said, tugging at his arm again. "Lets go."  
  
Reluctantly, he allowed her to lead him out of the club, grabbing their coats on the way. They walked round to the back of the building where they put them on and Rogue replaced her long, leather gloves with some shorter ones. Her coat was covering the rest of her arms so everyone was still safe.  
  
She intertwined her fingers with Bobby's and they started to walk towards Central Park. Just as they were about to turn the corner out of the alley, Bobby was grabbed from behind and thrown backwards. He hit the ground hard and rolled several times before stopping.  
  
"Bobby!" Rogue shouted, looking at the figure that had thrown him and was now moving towards him for a second helping. He punched Bobby again as he tried to stand up, stepping back and kicking him even further down the alley.  
  
"What's wrong 'Iceman'," he taunted. "Feeling a little cold? Want your old friend John to warm you up?"  
  
He pulled out his lighter and ignited the flame, using his powers to shape it into a ball. Grinning, he tossed it towards his ex-friend. Bobby raised his hand towards it and using his own powers, a burst of very cold air turned the ball to ice. It dropped and cracked when it hit the ground. Now Iceman was on his feet and ready to even the score.  
  
"Hey John, how's your new life paying off? Because if that's the new 'training' you get, you should've stayed with us."  
  
Another fireball was thrown in response but Bobby dodged it. "Has Magneto fulfilled his promises, or has he just turned you into a lackey?"  
  
Behind Pyro, Rogue approached slowly, slipping off one of her gloves. She reached her now bare right hand towards the back of his neck and braced herself for another flood of his memories and powers. The last time she'd used her 'gift' on him, she'd saved several lives in the process. Now she was going to save her boyfriend from a few bumps and bruises.  
  
Just inches from contact, someone grabbed her out-stretched arm and pulled it roughly behind her back.  
  
"Keep y' hands to y'self chere." 


	3. Chapter Three

Rogue turned her head to look over her other shoulder and tried to elbow her captor with her free arm. He dodged and caught it instead, leaving both her arms redundant. Desperately, she kicked out with both her legs into Pyro's back, giving Bobby an advantage and her some momentum to push her own problem backwards. He fell over, taking her with him. As they hit the ground, she rolled to the side and tried to stand up. Just as she got to her feet, her opponent grabbed the collar of her jacket and slammed her into a wall.  
  
Now they were face-to-face, Rogue recognised the guy who was with Pyro in the club, and he was just as breathtaking up close. Now she could see that his eyes were really red irises on black sclera. Most people would've been freaked out by them, but she thought they were beautiful. He wore a long brown trench coat and gloves. That's why she hadn't been able to drain him.  
  
She reached both her hands out to his face, even though only one was bare and tried to touch his skin. He recoiled and wrapped his own hands around her wrists, pinning them to the wall. All she could do now was stare into his eyes as he looked smugly into hers and moved closer.  
  
"Rogue!" Bobby shouted from the other end of the alley. He had just thrown Pyro on top of a dumpster and was making his way towards them.  
  
Her captor reached into his pocket while holding her bare hand to the wall and pulled out a playing card from his pocket. It started to glow. He threw it at Iceman and it exploded at his feet, making him fall over backwards. Bobby struggled to get up as his attacker pulled yet another glowing card from his coat. Grinning like a maniac, he aimed towards the boy on the floor.  
  
Taking a deep breath, Rogue stood on her tip-toes and kissed him. The card dropped from his hand and he kissed her back, not realising what the real reason was until it was too late. As the veins on his face started to bulge, he pushed her away but it had been enough to disable him for a short time. He fell to the floor, face first, groaning. She bent down and reached out her right hand to take some more energy, but Bobby stopped her.  
  
"I think you two have done enough touching for one night," he said calmly, quickly taking back his hand before she could start to drain him as well.  
  
Suddenly feeling off balance, Rouge reached out for something to grab to steady herself. She found a chain that was running across the wall of a building. Just like the playing cards, it started to glow. She pulled her hand and away from it and pushed Bobby to the floor as it exploded.  
  
"Sorry" she said sheepishly, standing up. But that wasn't what her boyfriend was upset about. "Bobby, I'm sorry but I couldn't touch him and." she trailed off. No explanation was going to be good enough for him right now.  
  
"We had better call the Institute before he feels like another try at us" Bobby said, suddenly taking charge.  
  
He look towards the dumpster he had slammed John on top of and wasn't surprised to see that he had left. Then he grabbed some of the un-exploded chain from the wall and used it to tie their attacker's arms behind his back.  
  
"He's still awake." Rogue pointed out, putting her glove back on. She was right, although barely conscious; he could probably hear everything that was going on. Luckily, he was still powerless to do anything about it.  
  
Bobby finished tightening the chains and used his powers to cover them with ice, hopefully making them stronger. "I'd better call the school, get them to come pick him up. Stay here and watch him."  
  
"Ok," she replied quietly. Then her boyfriend disappeared round the corner to find the nearest pay phone. She was left alone with the guy on the floor.  
  
Like all the other people she had touched, a part of him was in her head. Their contact had been brief, so she hadn't gotten that much. She stood against the wall for at least fifteen minutes, waiting for Bobby and the X- Men, still looking at the guy on the floor. Although most of her thoughts were her own, some images flashed by that she didn't recognise. Some were of New Orleans, she had visited that city once. Then there were a few of a large island compound, she couldn't tell where. Then she saw a glimpse of Mystique, and John setting his clothes on fire. She jumped and was brought back to the real world when her attacker's body moved and he examined his surroundings with sleepy eyes. They found her own and the pair shared another stare.  
  
"Y' got some kiss chere," he said drowsily. "Gambit give y' credit for dat." She tried to ignore him and looked around, hoping that Bobby would come back soon. He only laughed. "You dat Rogue one, de one who can't touch."  
  
She whipped her head round at the mention of her name. She strode over towards his barely conscious form and crouched in front of him. "How do you know me?"  
  
"Rogue, step away from him," said the Professor from behind her. She looked round and saw him, Bobby, Cyclops and Logan coming down the alley. She obeyed and went to join her boyfriend while Cyclops and Logan picked up her attacker from the floor.  
  
"He's still conscious" Rogue said called out to them. Xavier motioned for them to bring him closer. Placing a hand on top of his head, the Professor looked down into his lap, obviously concentrating and going into the guy's mind. After a few moments, John's friend was out cold.  
  
"Lets take him back to the school," the Professor said. Cyclops and Logan went ahead, the Professor followed them and Bobby and Rogue brought up the rear. She tried to hold Bobby's hand as they walked. He didn't reciprocate. 


	4. Chapter Four

Back at the school, Xavier, Cyclops, Storm, Logan, Bobby and Rogue were in the meeting room. The attacker had been treated in the Infirmary and Xavier had cross-referenced his fingerprints and blood sample with those on his records and found a match. Although still unconscious, Colossus was watching over him while the Professor briefed the rest of the X-Men.  
  
"His name is Remy LeBeau, also called Gambit. From his blood sample, and of course his general appearance, he appears to be aged between 19 and 23 and originally from New Orleans. There isn't much on file, but it is safe to assume he is a mutant. Apparently he has the power to charge items with kinetic energy, which explode on release. He may also have increased speed and agility, as well as empathic abilities."  
  
"What was he doing with Pyro?" Cyclops asked. "Is he working for Magneto?"  
  
"Possibly," Xavier answered. "Eric may be gathering a group of mutants to replace Toad and Sabretooth and assist him with his cause."  
  
"Maybe we should smack the kid around a bit," Logan offered. "Might be able to give us some answers about what Magneto is up to this time."  
  
"I'm all for that" Bobby added.  
  
Before the others could respond, a voice came through the intercom system. "Professor Xavier?"  
  
"Yes Colossus" the old man replied.  
  
"Mr. LeBeau is awake."  
  
"I'll be there right away," he answered. "Storm, Logan, I want you two to see if you can find out more about where Gambit has been lately, it may lead us to Magneto. Cyclops, Rogue, I want you two to come with me to see him. Bobby, I suggest you get some rest."  
  
Obviously disappointed at being left out, the boy rose out of his chair and walked towards the door. Rogue watched him go, she could tell he was upset. At first, she wondered why the Professor would want her to come and not Bobby, then she realised that she had absorbed a part of Gambit, something that might be useful. After Storm and Logan had gone too, the three remaining X-Men made their way down to the Infirmary.  
  
* * * * * *  
  
In the high-tech medical bay, precautions had been taken for it's new inhabitant. All items except for a surgical bed had been removed from one corner of the room. A metal cage had been put around it, charged with electricity so Gambit couldn't make contact with it. Although obviously escape was not his first priority, as he was slumped casually in a corner singing a French song.  
  
When Xavier entered the room, he dismissed Colossus and moved towards the cage. Gambit looked up and a smile began to form across his face when saw Rogue behind him. She looked away, slightly embarrassed. His smile grew, while Cyclops glared at him.  
  
"Mr. LeBeau," the Professor started. "I'm Charles Xavier, welcome to my school for Gifted Youngsters."  
  
"Dis be a school? Looks more like a Star Trek movie."  
  
"That's because we are more advanced than most medical facilities you have encountered. This is also a restricted area, the students are rarely allowed down here." Gambit laughed slightly at the old man's explanation.  
  
"Now, do you mind if we ask you some questions?" Scott interrupted, stepping forward. "We did, after all, manage to capture you."  
  
"If dat is how all de men get captured, Gambit surprised dere was a vacancy." His glance went towards Rogue again. Xavier and Scott turned to look at her as well. Uncomfortable with the attention, she shifted her weight from leg to leg and her eyes roved around the room. Eventually, all the attention went back to Remy and Xavier started his questioning.  
  
"Mr. LeBeau, your companion, Pyro, used to be a student of mine. He left after an incident at a military facility a few months ago, with another mutant named Magneto. Do you know anything about him?"  
  
"If Gambit tell ya, can he get a date with de fille?" Rogue turned on her heel and stormed out of the Infirmary.  
  
"Rogue!" Cyclops called after her. The Professor nodded for him to follow.  
  
As Scott disappeared down the hall, Xavier moved closer to cage and leaned towards its prisoner, attempting to read his mind. Realising what he was doing, Gambit grinned and locked eye contact with him, sending various images, lying with the truth.  
  
His first glimpse of Rogue across the club with Bobby. He made sure to include the bar with all it's alcohol and a few druggies in the corner, painting a bad picture of where they had been. Then, he showed Xavier the moment Rogue had kissed him. Although she had only done it as a last resort, Remy showed it as if she did it out of her own free will and had actually enjoyed it.  
  
Realising that he wasn't going to get anything out of Gambit, the Professor broke psychic contact and wheeled backwards. Although he wasn't a telepath himself, Gambit had obviously learnt how to deal with them. His mind wasn't impossible to read, and Xavier could easily see through those images to the real truth, but it would be better at another time, perhaps when Gambit was less excitable or ambitious.  
  
"I don't appreciate you frightening my students," the Professor told him. "Or attempting to portray them in a bad light."  
  
"Hey, Remy just showed y' the truth," Gambit replied in his defence. "Ain't my fault that your best fille enjoys kissin' de enemy and y' boy wonder settles an old score without thinkin' of others."  
  
Xavier scowled at his comment, turned his wheelchair and left the room. Colossus re-entered and started leafing through some medical records. The prisoner flopped onto his bed and resumed singing his song. 


	5. Chapter Five

Outside the school, it was quite calm. There was a small breeze that blew some of the small leaves around the basketball court and towards the pond. Underneath the trees, Rogue sat on one of the benches staring into the distance. She didn't know why, but Gambit's comments had really gotten to her. Now he was going to tell the Professor what happened, and that wouldn't exactly earn her a place in the higher ranks of the X-Men. And worse, she'd lost Bobby's trust and perhaps even him. How could one mutant ruin her life in the space of a day?  
  
"Rogue?" She looked up to see Cyclops coming towards her. "I've been looking for you, after you ran out."  
  
"Sorry," she mumbled in reply. "I didn't wanna stick around."  
  
"Yeah, he wasn't really playing things in your favour was he?" She shook her head, and he sat down next to her. "What happened in the city?" he asked, after a short pause.  
  
"I thought Bobby told you."  
  
"He told us that you both saw Pyro, and that after a fight, you managed to touch Gambit and leave him unconscious. Not exactly the most accurate account in history."  
  
She sighed and looked down at her lap, her hair falling over her face. "Well, Gambit had me pinned to the wall," she said slowly. "He was about to throw one of his cards at Bobby, and." she trailed off.  
  
"And what?"  
  
"I kissed him."  
  
"I see," Cyclops replied, sitting back a bit. "That explains a few things." Rogue just hung her head in shame and scraped back some hair behind her ears. He leaned forward again and tried to comfort her.  
  
"Look, from what you've said, it sounds like you didn't have much of a choice. In order for your power to work, you have to make skin-to-skin contact, and that was your best means of doing it."  
  
"I guess," she mumbled.  
  
"It might not sound like it, but I can understand how you feel. Out of all the people here, I'd say you and I are the ones whose powers are more of a curse than a gift. But this is where we learn to control our mutations and use them to help people. You probably saved Bobby's life."  
  
"And lost his trust in the process," Rogue added miserably.  
  
"Not necessarily, try talking to him and see. Meanwhile, I'd recommend you keep well away from Gambit. He'll probably try to exploit your situation and make you do something stupid."  
  
"Ok," she replied, standing up. "Thanks, by the way."  
  
Cyclops smiled at her. "No problem."  
  
Then she made her way back across the grounds towards the mansion.  
  
* * * * * *  
  
As she walked down the halls, Rogue still couldn't get Gambit out of her head, both figuratively and literally. She kept seeing images of him flashing her mind, his short-term memories and she was pretty sure she could speak French almost fluently now. Even Logan's mind hadn't remained this long, and she was in contact with him a lot longer than she was with Remy LeBeau. Gambit. Rogue scolded herself for calling him by his real name; he was after all her enemy.  
  
As she neared the stairs that led to the dorms, she stopped and instead looked in the direction of the elevator that led to the lower levels. To the Infirmary. As if under some sort of spell, she changed direction and retraced her steps from a few minutes ago.  
  
Inside the Infirmary, Gambit had given up singing and was now just flopped on his bed staring up at the ceiling. When he heard someone enter, he looked towards the door and a large smile spread across his face.  
  
"Bonsoir cherie," he greeted Rogue, standing up and walking to the edge of the bars. "What can Gambit do for y'?"  
  
Slowly, she approached the edge of the cage. "I wanna ask you some questions," she said in her bravest voice, trying to give it Logan's 'Lets get down to business' tone. "About what you were doing in the city."  
  
He grinned. "Be more specific."  
  
"Are you working for Magneto?"  
  
"Pass."  
  
She sighed in frustration, obviously the 'lets get down to business' tone wasn't working for her. "This isn't the kind of question you can pass on. Tell me."  
  
"Or you'll do what, chere? Kiss me again?"  
  
"No, I'll drain it outta ya" she said threateningly, pulling off her one of her gloves and stepping closer.  
  
He held out his hand through the bars. "Go ahead."  
  
She hesitated for a moment. It could be a trap. He could grab her, hold her against the bars so she'd be electrocuted. He could probably escape then. But he couldn't move that fast if she was absorbing him, in fact he'd probably be knocked out and leave her with the answers she wanted. She took one more step closer and went to take his hand.  
  
Almost at the speed of light, he moved his hand and instead went for the scarf that was wrapped loosely around her neck. He obtained it and stood back away from her.  
  
"Tut tut chere, y' should know better."  
  
Rogue, who had also backed away from the bars, glared at him. "Well mah scarf ain't gonna help ya much."  
  
"On the contrary," he said, holding it up while locking eye contact with her.  
  
As the grin on his face expanded, the scarf began to glow like his cards had in the alley. Her eyes widened as she realised was he going to do. As quick as he'd snatched it, he tied the scarf around the cage and stood away from it. Within seconds, it exploded, blowing a hole in the bars and setting off the mansion's alarms. Gambit stepped through the hole, grabbed his coat that was on a shelf and peeped his head round the door while putting it on.  
  
He saw a shadow on the wall and turned round immediately to grab Rogue, who had her hand outstretched, ready to touch him. Putting on his own gloves, which found in his pockets, he interlocked their fingers and pulled her out into the corridor. She tried to pull him back but he lightly crushed her fingers and held on tight.  
  
Once they were out, he saw the elevator doors open and Cyclops came running out followed by Logan. Gambit pulled another card from his pocket, charged it and threw it into their path. Then he ran to the other end of the corridor and up the stairs, dragging Rogue with him.  
  
On ground level, the kids were all out of their dormitories and wondering what was going on. Bobby was trying to calm some of the younger kids down while looking around frantically. Eventually he saw Gambit coming up the stairs, with Rogue in tow. She was still trying to pull herself free, without result.  
  
"Rogue!" Bobby shouted, and started running towards her.  
  
"Bobby!" she shouted back. She gave up trying to release the Cajun's hold on her and instead, swung him round into the wall. Dazed, he released her and rubbed his head. When he'd regained his senses, he charged up another card and threw it towards the nearest window. It exploded and he jumped out, leaving Rogue with a lot of explaining to do.  
  
* * * * * * *  
  
Author's Note: Hi everyone, thanks for all your great reviews! It pains me to admit it, but I'm having a severe case of writer's block so if you have any ideas as to where the story could go, they will be very much appreciated! 


	6. Chapter Six

Night had fallen at the Xavier Institute. In the dormitories, most of the students were asleep. Some had their personal lights on and were entertaining themselves with books. Two had sneaked into the lounge and were watching the TV, quietly.  
  
In Professor Xavier's office, a figure sat at the computer, tapping the keys on the keyboard, and pausing every few seconds to read the information displayed. Long hair tied was back in a loose ponytail, the fingers covered by gloves and a pack of playing cards nearby. The door to the office opened, but the figure at the computer didn't notice and continued to browse the computer files.  
  
"Rogue?"  
  
She jumped at the sound of the voice and peered over the screen. "Professor?"  
  
"Rogue, what are doing in my office?" Xavier asked, wheeling further into the room.  
  
She stood up and backed away from the computer, snatching the playing cards. She was still in her day clothes, so she shoved them quickly into her pocket. "I, um, I was."  
  
"Remy LeBeau," the Professor read from the screen. He sighed and turned to his student. "You were looking at his personnel file."  
  
Rogue looked at the floor and started towards the door. "I'm sorry, I'll go to bed now."  
  
"Rogue, wait." Xavier called after her, but she was already out of the door.  
  
In the dorm room, Jubilee, Siren and Kitty were asleep. Rogue sighed, she was usually very noisy and woke everyone up. Preparing to be shouted at, she started across the room. Surprisingly, she didn't make a sound. She was as quiet as a thief.  
  
Instead of changing into her nightclothes, Rogue decided to sit by the window. It was only last night that Gambit had escaped, and already she was getting the cold shoulder. Bobby was avoiding her, the rest of the students were whispering whenever they saw her and the rest of the X-Men were scarce. She had seen Ororo briefly at breakfast, but that was it.  
  
Everyone blamed her for Gambit's escape, and they were right. She'd been overconfident, and he'd taken advantage of that. His file linked to New Orleans, where he had been spotted robbing several properties. A thief. That probably explained why he'd been able to trick her back in the Infirmary. That was the reason why he managed to free himself.  
  
'Is it working?' A voice in her head asked her. 'Have you convinced yourself that it wasn't your fault?'  
  
She hung her head in shame and continued to look out of the window.  
  
* * * * * *  
  
Further out to sea, Gambit sat in the back of a speedboat, fiddling with his cards. The engine of his transportation was loud enough to drown out conversation, but quiet enough to not disturb his thinking. And all that was on his mind was the Rogue girl.  
  
She'd released him from that Infirmary, with little or no charm on Gambit's part. She was gullible, easy to manipulate, just like any other young girl that age. Probably had her head caught up in the clouds about love and romance and the perfect man. That's what was fun about women, they believed that dreams could come true. That everything they'd seen in romance movies was true, all the kissing and talking about soul mates crap. Yet Rogue was different, because she couldn't have that. He'd found out first hand that if she touched someone else's skin for more than a few seconds, she'd rob that person of their memories and make them pass out. Remy had to fight hard to keep himself conscious after that kiss she'd given him.  
  
His thoughts were interrupted when the boat came to a stop, right next to the docking bay of Magneto's island. He got up and walked towards the front of the boat, where a young blonde woman was leaning against the steering wheel.  
  
"This alright, hun?"  
  
"Couldn't have asked for better, cherie," Gambit replied. "Merci beaucoup for the ride." He smiled and traced his finger along her jaw as a sign of his appreciation. Then he climbed out of the boat and made his way towards the entrance.  
  
Outside, John was leaning against the wall, smoking. The kid thought that it made him look tough, but in fact he looked stupid. He grinned when he saw Remy approaching. "So, the Cajun escaped. I never thought you'd be stupid enough to let yourself get captured in the first place."  
  
"At least I didn't get my ass kicked by a snowman," Gambit retorted. "Anyway, Gambit got a few rewards for his troubles. One bein' a kiss from de girl."  
  
"You got a kiss from Rogue?!" John asked in shock. "Lucky bastard."  
  
"I try," Remy said smugly, snatching a cigarette from John, who had resumed staring out to sea. The Cajun coughed, as if to say 'Excuse me'. Realizing what he wanted, Pyro used the flame from his own cigarette to create a small ball of fire. He floated it over to Gambit, who used it as a makeshift lighter. After inhaling a few times, he headed inside to report to Magneto.  
  
The place was quiet and empty. As he walked through the hallway and up the stairs, Remy felt like he was walking to his death. Maybe he was. Magneto probably wouldn't be happy that one of his group was captured. When he reached the door to the old man's office, he took a deep breath and went to open it. However, it simply swung open. At first, he was shocked, but then Gambit remembered that his boss was the Master of Magnetism, and the door was metal. Grinning to himself, he stepped inside.  
  
"Mr LeBeau, welcome back."  
  
"Good t' be back."  
  
"Please, have a seat." One of the metal chairs in front of Magneto's desk slid to side, and Remy sat down. The older man walked out of a dark corner and seated himself opposite. "I hope they treated you well."  
  
"Not complainin' - good food, comfy bed. An' the best interrogator they got was a girl who was easy t' charm. It was easy."  
  
"Ah, you'd be surprised at what they can produce. But, that is not the point. I'll assume that you shared no information."  
  
"Non. Not willingly, anyway." Magneto looked suspicious. "De Rogue gave me one of her kisses. Maybe she got some info outta me."  
  
"Unlikely. Her powers are barely controllable, and I doubt she'd want to explore them further by delving into your memories." Remy smiled to himself, his boss was rather liberal with the insults, no matter how subtle.  
  
"In any event," the old man continued. "As long as there were no real consequences, your brief capture can be overlooked."  
  
"Merci beacoup." Gambit stood up and walked out of the room, closing the door behind him. Once outside, he headed towards his own room. One of the great things about working for a guy as rich as Magneto was that you got food, accommodation and stuff like that free.  
  
Once inside his own bedroom, he fell backwards onto the bed, staring at the ceiling. He'd been up for two nights straight, and he still wasn't tired. Sighing, he pulled out a pack of cards from his jacket and started shuffling them, something he always did when he was bored. He picked one from the top and took a look. The Queen of Hearts.  
  
Once again, his thoughts returned to Rogue. He wondered what she was doing at that moment, whether she was confined to her room for letting out a prisoner, being quizzed about any residual memories she'd gained from him. Or maybe they were trying to forget the incident, and she was just acting normally. One thing was for sure, her little Iceman wasn't going to be pleased that she was using kiss as a weapon. 'Especially not on a charmer like you, Remy LeBeau.' He grinned to himself and continued to let his thoughts be taken over by the Rogue. 


	7. Chapter Seven

"Bobby, please, just listen to me," Rogue said desperately, sitting down beside her boyfriend. "Why won't you hear me out?"  
  
"Because I've heard it already," he answered. They were sitting in the lounge, and for once, it was deserted. A few kids had cleared out once the couple's voices had started to rise.  
  
She took a deep breath and tried to calm herself. "Look, I'm sorry, okay? But back in the alley, he was about to blow you up and-"  
  
"Its not the alley that's bothering me," he interrupted her. "It's the fact that you went back to see him, even though you knew what he might do."  
  
"Was I supposed to know that he was gonna use me to break out!?" So much for the deep breaths, now she was almost shouting.  
  
So was he. "You heard what the Professor said, he's a thief. He's probably got every mind game in the book memorised. And you fell for it!"  
  
At that, Rogue stood up and stormed out. She pushed past a few of the kids and ran out into the gardens. Outside, she paused for a moment and wiped some emerging tears from her eyes. She'd finally decided to talk to Bobby about Gambit, and this was the result. An argument that was going to be the Institute's new gossip topic and both of them even madder than before. It was definitely time for a break.  
  
* * * * * * *  
  
"This is your seventh refill, hun," the waitress commented, as she filled up the coffee cup. "I'm getting worried that in a moment, you'll jump up and start running around like a mad woman."  
  
"Wouldn't want that," Rogue replied, almost inaudible. The waitress just smiled and finished filling up her cup. "Thanks."  
  
"No problem."  
  
When she was alone again, Rogue just stared down into her coffee, stirring it with the spoon. Free refills were a thing of beauty. But the waitress was right, it was her seventh cup, and the novelty had run its course. Sighing, she got up and walked out of the café.  
  
When she stepped out on to the street, Rogue headed towards the bus station. The sun was going in and she didn't want to be wandering around alone at night. She folded her arms and kept her eyes down, hoping no one would give her second look. She was under enough scrutiny back at the mansion, she didn't need it from people who didn't even know her. Once she was out of the centre of town, it was almost dark. Scowling, she quickened her pace.  
  
"Hey Naz, look what we have here," a male voice said from behind her. Rogue continued to walk, but was cut off by another man, who moved straight in front of her. Taking a step back, she bumped into another. She turned round to find herself surrounded by three mean looking thugs.  
  
"Sorry, girl, but this here is our turf," the first one said. "You're gonna have to pay to pass through." He wasn't overly tall, but his build made up for that. The guy looked like he could shove a two ton dumpster without even trying.  
  
"Yeah, and it ain't gonna be cheap either," another added. Rogue looked at him, he wasn't as big as the first, but he still looked like he could frighten the hell out of someone. She looked round at the third. He was thin, but at least six feet tall. He was as much of a problem as the other two.  
  
"I don't have any money," she admitted, trying to keep her eye on all three of them.  
  
"That's too bad," the first one said, moving towards her. "Because you ain't leaving here without giving us something." Rogue backed away, and bumped into the third thug. Once she made contact, she jumped forward and turned to face him.  
  
He had a filthy smile on his face. "Of course, she doesn't have to pay us with money though, does she? I can think of other ways to work off the debt."  
  
That was it, she wasn't going to take anymore of this. Rogue clenched a fist and swung it towards his jaw. He stumbled backwards, and the other two toward her. She looked over her shoulder and kicked one away from her, then ducked a punch from the other. She grabbed hold of his arm, twisted it and flipped him over onto his back. Placing her boot on his chin, she silently congratulated herself. Obviously some of Logan's training had paid off. She didn't notice one of the thugs coming up behind her, with a glass bottle in his hand.  
  
As he brought it down, another hand shot out and stopped him. "Trust me, homme. Not a good idea."  
  
Rogue felt a presence behind her, and quickly got out of harm's way, spinning to face the threat. Someone had stopped one of the guys from breaking a bottle over her head. Gambit.  
  
As she watched, he knocked the bottle from the thug's hand and punched him, once in his face and once in his stomach. Then he swung the guy round and sent him flying into a pile of rubbish. Now all three of them were either unconscious, or too beaten to do anything. Grinning, Gambit pulled a cigarette from his pocket and lit it, as if stopping the thug was nothing. For him, it was probably as easy as stealing candy from a baby.  
  
"Y' should be more careful around these parts, ma chere," he said, coming towards her. "'Lotta bad guys around."  
  
Rogue folded her arms and looked him straight in the eye. "I had it handled," she replied confidently.  
  
"De first two, no argument from me," he said, looking down at the ones she had taken out herself. "But dat third one? Good job Remy was here, or you'd be face down on de floor wit' dem."  
  
Rogue sighed in annoyance and turned to continue her journey to the bus station. Gambit hurried to catch up with her.  
  
"Where you goin', cherie?"  
  
"Home," she replied, without even looking at him.  
  
"Without even an au revoir?"  
  
She stopped and turned to look at him. He was still grinning like a Cheshire cat. "Goodbye," she said flatly, before turning to carry on walking.  
  
He still kept up with her. "Wan' a ride?"  
  
She stopped again, and stamped her foot. She'd spent her bus money in the café, and now she couldn't get back to the mansion. Gambit came up beside her and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Is dat a yes?"  
  
Rogue raised her eyes to heaven and silently cursed whoever or whatever was up there. A week ago, she was happier than she'd ever been since her powers became active. She had new home at Xavier's school, she was part of the X-Men and her and Bobby had been going great. Now she was the gossip of the entire school, stranded in the middle of nowhere with her only company being a cocky thief who was working for the bad guys.  
  
She turned to look at Gambit. "Fine," she said. "But try anything, and you'll find yourself in a coma for the next three weeks."  
  
"I could thinka worse fates," he said playfully. Rogue maintained a blank expression, and he just smiled. "C'mon girl, lets fly." He turned and started off in another direction, and she followed closely behind. Eventually, they ended up side by side.  
  
"You're from New Orleans, aren't you?" she said, hating the silence.  
  
"That I am, chere," he replied. "How you know that?"  
  
"When ah touched you, I absorbed some of your memories as well. If I look back at them, I can see New Orleans, people you've met, all sorts of stuff. And an image of John accidentally setting his clothes on fire."  
  
Gambit laughed, and so did she. "Now dat was a moment to treasure, I never wanna forget it."  
  
As they carried on walking, she found herself relaxing. The suspicion that he might suddenly attack her, or kidnap her, faded away, leaving her alone with a drop dead gorgeous guy who she knew a little about already.  
  
"You seem kinda nice for someone working for the bad guys," she said after a long pause.  
  
"The Rogue thinks Gambit is nice? I do believe I just got a full house."  
  
She laughed. "Why are you working for him anyway?"  
  
"You absorbed my mind, you tell me." She sighed in frustration, it was the Infirmary all over again. "It doesn't work like that. I only get bits and pieces, not the whole thing."  
  
"Some power y' got there," he commented, just as they reached a parking lot. He opened a door and stepped aside. "After you, cherie."  
  
Rogue smiled in amusement and stepped through, looking sideward at him. Once they were both inside, Gambit headed towards a Harley motorcycle parked on the other side.  
  
"Nice bike," she commented, as he got on and started it up.  
  
He smiled and threw her the passenger helmet. She caught it, put it on and then climbed on the back of the motorbike. Gambit started it up, and then looked behind him. "Dis ain't gonna work if y' don't hang on, petite."  
  
Rogue grinned, and placed one arm around his waist. She did the same with the other, and looked up at Gambit, who was still watching her with his red and black eyes. She raised her eyebrows playfully, and he grinned back at her. Then he turned back towards the front and took off. She hung on tight to him. and not just for her safety.  
  
* * * * * *  
  
"Stop here," Rogue called out to Gambit, as they neared the school. "I'll walk the rest of the way."  
  
The driver did as he was told, and skidded to a halt. "Sure y' don't want me to drive you all the way home?"  
  
"Can't have the bad guy seeing where I live now, can I?" she said jokingly, getting off the bike.  
  
"Well, Magneto already knows," Gambit commented, as she brushed herself down. "But whatever makes you happy, chere."  
  
Rogue grinned, and they both caught each other's eyes. She stared into his, Logan had told her once that you could tell a lot about a guy from his eyes. Only this time, she wasn't searching his soul for clues, she was staring because it was comforting.  
  
"Well, thanks for the ride," she said, pulling herself back into reality.  
  
"My pleasure," he said. He reached into his pocket and pulled out one of his infamous pack of cards. He shuffled through them for a moment, and then selected one. Smiling, he held it out to her. "Somethin' to remember me by."  
  
She reached out her hand, took the card and looked at it. The Ace of Spades. She looked back up and smiled at him. "Thanks."  
  
"See y' around, cherie." He said, starting up the bike. Then with a roar of the engine, he drove off into the distance. Rogue watched him until he'd completely disappeared from sight, and then headed towards the mansion.  
  
* * * * *  
  
Authors Note: Sorry about the long wait, I hope it was worth it! I have plans to continue, but I'd still appreciate any ideas from you guys! 


	8. Chapter Eight

Authors note: Thanks for the lovely reviews, everyone! Could someone tell me how to do Bold/Italic HTML here on FFNet please? I wanna put titles and thoughts, but they always come out looking the same. And by the way, for those who were asking, the Ace of Spades is one of Gambit's trademark cards, I think. I didn't wanna do the Jack of Hearts, because that'd be too cheesy, and the Joker, well, it didn't fit :)  
  
* * * * *  
  
~Three Months Later~  
  
Rogue was sitting in her History class, bored almost to death. Sighing, she played with her pen, drew some cartoons on her work, but nothing would relieve her boredom. Now and again, she listened to what Storm was saying, though she didn't understand a word and it went straight over her head. When the lesson was finally over, she was the first to pack up her stuff and leave.  
  
Once outside, she headed down the corridor towards her dorm room. That was the last lesson of the day, and now she was ready to kick back and relax. This was her final year at Mutant High, as Bobby called it, and then she wouldn't have to do any more studying. Although leaving the School was an option, she was almost sure that she was going to remain and join the X-Men full-time.  
  
In her room, she threw her books down on her desk and collapsed onto the bed. Opening a draw to the side of it, she rummaged around and pulled out the card Gambit have given to her three months earlier. Although his memories were fading away, she still had thoughts of him now and again. She hadn't told anyone about their last encounter and had kept the playing card hidden. Tracing the shapes on it with her finger, Rogue remembered his face, his eyes, his hair as if it had happened just a minute ago. 'I wonder what he's doing now', she thought to herself.  
  
A knock at the door interrupted her thoughts. She quickly put the card back in the drawer. "Who is it?" she called out.  
  
"Its Bobby."  
  
She got up off her bed and made her way towards the door. She opened it and greeted him with a smile. Although they were now broken up, lately they'd tried to get back to being friends. Succeeding too, slowly but surely.  
  
"Hey," she said. "What's going on?"  
  
"The Professor wants to see us downstairs," he told her. "Some kind of emergency."  
  
She frowned and closed the door behind her. Then the two teens made their way down the hall towards the elevator. Once they reached the lower levels of the mansion, they headed towards the briefing room. The other X-Men were already inside, and looked as though they'd been waiting. Rogue and Bobby took their seats as the Professor started talking.  
  
"We've picked up a disturbance in Washington D.C," he told them. "A band of mutants are attempting to infiltrate a factory on the outskirts. Although I can't get a clear reading on their brain patterns, police reports state that the metal fencing seems to have been manipulated to allow access to the property."  
  
"And in some language that's English?" Logan asked, after a long pause.  
  
"Magneto and his crew are breaking into a factory in D.C," Bobby translated for him.  
  
"Thanks, kid."  
  
"No problem."  
  
Rogue smiled to herself at the short exchange, and then got back into the meeting. Magneto was breaking into a factory, and he wasn't alone. That meant Mystique, Pyro and Gambit would be with him. Gambit. She may have to meet the Cajun in battle again, only this time she probably wouldn't be able to win as easily.  
  
"I want you all to go to Washington in the Jet, and stop them. I will attempt to guide you using Cerebro, but always be on your guard. Magnus doesn't go into a situation blind, he will have a plan."  
  
"Ok, everyone," Cyclops said, taking charge. "Suit up and be at the Jet in fifteen minutes." Then everyone rose from their seats and headed towards the door towards the uniform room. Bobby and Rogue walked together, and were joined by Scott. "You two stick together, Magneto may think you'll be easy targets."  
  
"No he won't," Rogue stated. "He'll strike where he can do the most damage." Both Cyclops and Bobby stopped to look her. Only just realising what she had said, she bowed her head sheepishly and also stopped. One of the many people she had in her mind was Magneto, and sometimes it seemed as though her thoughts were not her own. It was usually annoying and embarrassing when something like that happened, but on occasions, such as this one, it proved useful.  
  
She continued to walk toward where her uniform was stored, smiling to herself. She was smiling because one of the people in her head had just reassured her. 'Don't you worry, cherie,' it said. 'You'll do fine.'  
  
* * * * * * *  
  
John leant against the wall and smiled to himself. This was too easy. Magneto had removed the wire fencing and disappeared inside, while Mystique, disguised as a guard they had just taken out, was going to turn off the alarms. That left himself and the Cajun to do the rest of the dirty work - take out the rest of guards.  
  
He looked down at his wrists, and then opened his hand. This turned on the flamethrower strapped to his back, and now he had some fire to work with. In addition to teaching him more about his powers, Magneto has also equipped with a more potent source of fire than a simple lighter. However, he still had his most prized possession in his pocket, just in case. Concentrating, he shaped the flame into a sphere and bounced it along the floor like a tennis ball, grinning as he watched it travelling along. His fun was disturbed by a charged playing card exploding in the ball's path, breaking Pyro's control over it.  
  
"Cut it out, kid," Gambit said, a little annoyed. "We ain't here t' play ball, we're t' do a job."  
  
Annoyed, John stalked away, he could easily take out some guards by himself. He didn't need Gambit's help. Hiding behind a pillar, he ignited the flamethrowers, shaping the fire into an arrow. Then he peered out from behind the pillar and shot the arrow towards one of the security guards. The man cried out in fear as the fire headed towards him, and stared in shock when it stopped right into a face and curled to form a ring. The ring slipped itself round the guard's neck, and started circling his throat. Pyro emerged from behind the pillar, and headed towards the guard, with a maniacal grin on his face. Fun was over, now he had to do his job - make sure this guy didn't give them any trouble.  
  
Suddenly, a small ball of ice flew past John's ear and hit his fire ring, destroying it. The guard, now almost screaming with fear took the opportunity to run away. Fuming, John turned round to face his old school friend, Bobby Drake. Now calling himself Iceman. Anger twisting his features into an ugly visage, he pointed his arms towards Bobby and sent two fire ropes at him. Iceman raised his own arms and turned them to ice, smiling as they dropped to the ground. Then he made his way towards John, intent on a fight.  
  
That suited Pyro fine.  
  
He threw a punch at Bobby's face, but the X-Man ducked and twisted to end up behind him. Placing a hand on John's flamethrower, Iceman quickly turned it into a block of ice. Then he grabbed both of Pyro's arms, wrenched them behind his back and turned him round to face a new threat.  
  
John's eyes widened as he saw Rogue making her way towards them. She was smiling slightly while removing her gloves. Once she was within range, she placed her bare hands on either side of his face and smiled one of her innocent yet deadly smiles. He gasped as he felt all his energy draining out of his body and into her. Then all he saw was darkness.  
  
* * * * * *  
  
"Not bad," Bobby said, with a grin as John collapsed in his arms.  
  
"Thanks," Rogue answered, replacing her gloves. "Now I have some firepower." They both paused and giggled at the accidental pun. "Ah'm gonna go help Logan, you ok here?"  
  
"Yep," he replied. "Got everything under control." She smiled and started to walk away.  
  
"Rogue, wait!" Bobby called out. She turned to look at him, and then caught something he threw at her. Examining the object, she grinned as she recognised it as John's lighter. "What use is fire power without the fire?" he added.  
  
She smiled in appreciation and then walked away in search of Wolverine. She paused to ignite John's lighter and created herself a ball of fire, so she could be ready. She continued to walk with it hovering below her palm. A few feet away, she could hear the sound of metal scraping against metal, it had to be him. But then she heard a cry of fear coming from another direction, and decided to answer it.  
  
In front of several delivery trucks, she noticed one of the guards pinned against the wall with some sort of staff. As she peered round a crate, she saw Remy - Gambit - holding him in place. Looking down to make sure her fireball was still active, she stepped out from behind the crate and directed the fire towards him. It whisked past the Cajun, making him release the guard and immediately turn in her direction.  
  
"Roguey," he said, grinning. "Where y' been all dis time, chere?"  
  
Rogue ignored him, and instead made herself another two fireballs, hovering them above her hands. She began to approach Gambit, and was surprised when he backed away. He wasn't afraid, but her borrowed powers obviously made him reconsider the situation.  
  
"Why are you here?" she asked, almost no emotion to her voice. She wasn't in the mood for playing anymore. Gambit didn't respond, instead he pulled a card from his pocket and charged it. She raised her arm and threw a fireball at him, knocking the card out of his hand, setting his glove on fire in the process. He quickly pulled it off and then cradled the burnt flesh. The card that he had dropped exploded behind him.  
  
"Why?" Rogue repeated, splitting her remaining fireball into two. "Ah'm not in the mood for games, Cajun. Now tell me." She resumed walking towards him, now he was backing into one of the trucks. If she could trap him there, that'd take him out of the fight and give the X-Men an advantage.  
  
Suddenly, she felt her power draining away and looked down to see both her fireballs flickering and shrinking. In almost no time at all, they were gone. She had lost Pyro's power. And that meant that he was probably awake. She scowled and picked up a small beam of steel as a weapon. Gambit had lost his bo-staff, so she still had a slight advantage. She resumed walking towards him, until she was at the top of the ramp. Gambit was right at the back of the truck, still with a grin on his face.  
  
"I'm not gonna ask you again," she threatened. "Why are you here!?"  
  
Before he could answer, she was pushed hard from behind. Gambit rushed forwards to catch her, delving into her pocket and removing John's lighter while he was close. He spun her into the side of the wall and threw the lighter to Pyro, who was standing in the doorway. She recovered quickly and grabbed Gambit's coat as he made his way to the exit. Using all her strength, she pulled him into the wall beside her. John, still outside, closed the doors and threw the latch, locking them both inside. Now she couldn't see a thing.  
  
Regaining her bearings, she looked around, trying to adjust her eyes to the lack of light. Once at school, the power had been cut and the whole place was in darkness. That was just a few days after the Liberty Island incident, so with Logan's powers, she had helped to sort out the problem. But now, she only had her own power, absorption, and that wasn't a great deal of help when she couldn't see a thing. She was locked in a tight space with an enemy, not the best situation in the world.  
  
"Just you and me now, chere," a voice said from behind her. She turned and tried to grab him, but she only felt thin air. She felt something move behind her, and turned round again. She saw his red eyes glowing in the dark a few metres away.  
  
Rogue removed her gloves and threw them to the floor. Then she started towards the two red circles, her fists clenched and ready to fight. 


	9. Chapter Nine Part 1

Authors note: Hiya! This is only half of chapter 9, but I felt really guilty leaving you all suffering, so I posted it. The second half should follow in a week or two. Enjoy!  
  
* * * * * * *  
  
"An' after Chicago?"  
  
"Ah spent two weeks unloading fish trucks to pay for a ticket to Boston, made me smell for months."  
  
"Chere, chere, chere. y' shoulda stolen da money. Much easier, less smellin'."  
  
"Maybe, but I didn't know how. I wasn't raised a thief. Unlike some people around here."  
  
"If you were in de T'ieves Guild, you woulda been my favourite girl."  
  
"Really?"  
  
"Oui."  
  
"Thanks."  
  
"No problem, cherie."  
  
* * * * * *  
  
"Do you seem them?" Storm asked, descending from the top of the warehouse. Her dominion over the weather allowed her the gift of flight, among other things. She lightly touched town onto the floor and walked to Iceman's side.  
  
"No," the young X-Men replied, looking around him. "I went back to where me and Rogue dropped Pyro, no sign of him."  
  
"No sign of Mystique or Magneto either," Cyclops said, emerging from behind a stack of a crates. "I saw a few cards scattered outside the loading dock, so Gambit must be here too."  
  
"Where's Rogue?" Storm suddenly pointed out. "I haven't seen her since we got here."  
  
"She took off to help Wolverine after she absorbed Pyro," Iceman answered.  
  
"She wasn't with me," a voice said from above them. Wolverine was standing at the very top of the warehouse on top of a beam, his body halfway through the skylight. His claws were extended and he was sniffing the air.  
  
"You said you saw come cards near the loading dock?" Storm checked with Cyclops. He nodded in response. "Then that's probably the first place to start looking."  
  
"If that pile of gumbo even laid a finger on her."  
  
"Its ok, Logan," Rogue called out, emerging in a doorway at the other end of the warehouse. "Ah'm ok."  
  
Everyone looked towards her as she walked gracefully to meet them. Looking down from above, Wolverine looked suspicious. Once she reached the group, she slipped her hand into Bobby's and smiled at him. "Hey."  
  
The rest of the team looked a bit confused. "What happened to you?" Cyclops began the questioning.  
  
"I got locked in a truck with Gambit," she explained. "I touched him, and then used his cards to blast out." Despite her explanation, the X-Men still looked confused. She had caught Gambit off-guard last time, she couldn't haven taken him again. However, they were willing to give him the benefit of the doubt.  
  
"Ok," Cyclops confirmed. "That's Gambit down, but Mystique and Magneto are still missing." He continued to form orders as Rogue leaned up and spoke into Bobby's ear. "You wanna come to my room tonight? Maybe we can't touch, but I know plenty of things to do that would keep you safe."  
  
Alarmed at his usually shy girlfriend's new attitude, Bobby pulled away from her and took a few steps back. The other X-Men didn't notice, and were still engrossed in their planning. Smiling to herself at Bobby's reaction, she stepped up to Storm and Cyclops.  
  
"Ah don't think they're here," she said. "Gambit was trying to escape, so they must've already left."  
  
"She's right," Logan called from above. "Theres no sign of them." He jumped from the crates and gracefully landed on the ground. "Lets get the hell outta here before the guards wake up."  
  
He walked past Cyclops towards the jet, Storm and Iceman following close behind. Cyclops, a little upset at not making the decision, eventually joined them. As they boarded the jet and buckled up, Rogue paused and smiled.  
  
Then her eyes glowed yellow. 


	10. Chapter Nine Part 2

Authors note: Me again! Thanks for the reviews. Just so you know, Mystique doesn't know that Rogue broke up with Bobby :p As for the person who said about my number of reviews, I've seen stories that I thought were crap that have thousands :) Also, sorry for the late update. I've been ill twice since I did part 1! Anyway, I'll get on with the story. small talk isn't really my thing.  
  
* * * * * * *  
  
"How long have we been in here?"  
  
"Lil' over an hour. Whats wrong, cherie, Gambit borin' ya?"  
  
"No, no. Ah just wanna get out of here."  
  
"Y' scared of the dark?" He pulled out a card from his coat and charged it. The energy from it cast an eerie glow over the inside of the truck. Smiling, Rogue stood up and walked to the doors. Gambit still sat watching her, holding up the card to give her some light.  
  
Frowning, Rogue tried pushing the door open. It barely moved. A little frustrated, she tried again, only harder. Still, it didn't budge. Now angry, she stood back and let out a small roar of effort as she kicked the door. It only rattled a little, but still stayed in place. She was about to try again before Gambit placed his hands on her shoulders and gently pulled her backwards.  
  
"Calm down, chere," the soothing Cajun voice sounded in her ear. Still a little put out, Rogue wrenched free of his grasp and stormed to the other end of the truck. With all her strength, she banged her fists against the window to the driver's seat, but that too did not move. Stamping her foot in frustration, she turned to Gambit.  
  
"Can't you blow the door open?"  
  
"I could," he said with a little sarcasm. "But I doubt we'd survive." Then he nodded towards an oxygen tank by the entrance. Raising her eyes to heaven, Rogue leaned back against the wall and slowly slid down until she was sitting on the floor. Sighing, she folded her arms and bowed her head. Gambit sat down beside her.  
  
"I ain't dat bad company, am I?" he asked playfully. She didn't answer, only exhaled and looked around. Then she turned to look at him and smiled.  
  
"Guess not."  
  
He grinned at her, then looked around as they both heard footsteps and voices outside. Rogue started to rise, but Gambit pulled her down and placed a hand across her mouth. They both listened to the man and woman outside.  
  
"Man, that break-in really got us."  
  
"Yeah, lucky they only got away with the preliminary formula. We can easily draft another."  
  
"Well, I guess we've gotta go explain to the big bosses. I'll also get some more equipment. This truck is empty, right?"  
  
"Should be. Gimme a bell when you get back."  
  
"Will do."  
  
Rogue continued to listen as the driver got into their truck and started it up. Her eyes widened when the truck began to reverse. She glanced up and saw that Gambit was also looking around, only he was obviously not as worried. He looked down at her and gave her a little smile, removing his hand from her mouth.  
  
"Looks like we going on a lil' trip, chere," he said quietly. The rattle of the old truck was enough to keep the driver from hearing him. Rogue could only groan. Where were the X-Men? Why hadn't they noticed she was missing? Where was she going, imprisoned in the back of a lorry with one of Magneto's guys?  
  
Realising that she couldn't do anything for the time being, she sat back and let out a deep sigh. Then she felt a hand lightly patting her shoulder. Looking up again, she saw that friendly Cajun smile. Her current situation could be worse. A lot worse.  
  
* * * * * *  
  
"Chere?"  
  
Rogue stirred slightly, and ignored whatever sound she had heard. Then it came again, only louder and accompanied with a jolt. Still she ignored it, a few more minutes of sleep could make all the difference. Then there were no kind words, she only felt her head connect with cold wood. Whatever she had been sleeping on didn't want a companion anymore. She felt two hands wrap around her arms and haul her up. Still drowsy, she dragged her eyes open and saw Gambit. He was the one holding her up, and also what she'd been sleeping on. He looked amused.  
  
"You always dis hard to wake up?"  
  
"I was asleep?"  
  
"For most of de night. An' a little of the mornin'."  
  
She groaned again and wiped her eyes. Then she noticed that the truck was not in motion, which must've meant that they'd stopped.  
  
"Where are we?"  
  
"Don' know yet," Gambit replied, standing near the door. "But wherever we are, we bein' unloaded pretty soon. And I don' tink dey be appreciatin' stowaways."  
  
He was right, they probably weren't. That company seemed to be pretty large, which meant money, and that meant security.  
  
"What are we gonna do?"  
  
"Y' know how ta fight, don't ya cherie?" Rogue looked a little insulted. "'Course you do. When dese guys unload, we make a break for it."  
  
Before she had time to agree, the two mutants heard the bolt on the door being thrown. They both moved forward, ready for the doors to open. Rogue noticed her gloves on the floor, but disregarded them. The doors opened and sunlight came streaming in, blinding them for a short while. As soon as they'd both regained focus, Rogue and Gambit kicked the men out of the way and started running towards a chain-link fence on the other side of the lot.  
  
However, the employees of the chemical plant were not going to give them an easy time. Several moved to block Rogue's way, and when she realised she couldn't dodge, she jumped and kicked one in the chest. She quickly ducked a punch from one, grabbed his arm and kicked another behind her, swinging the one whose arm she was holding into him. Then she continued running.  
  
To the left of her, Gambit was easily handling five or six men and looked to be enjoying himself. When he saw Rogue, though, he realised that they had an agenda. He pushed a few of the men out of his way and ran to catch up with her. Pulling a card out his pocket and charging it, he threw the object at the fence a few feet away from Rogue. It exploded, and she escaped through the hole. Gambit followed her, throwing another charged card behind him to make sure they weren't closely followed.  
  
When he caught up with Rogue around the corner, they were on a deserted road and she was staring up at a sign in horror.  
  
"Problem?" he asked.  
  
It took a few moments before she answered him.  
  
"We're outside Chicago."  
  
* * * * * * *  
  
Another Authors Note: I'm English, so I know nothing about American Geography. If Washington DC to Chicago in one night seems impossible, please forgive me! 


	11. Chapter Ten

"Oh my god, we're outside Chicago!" A few minutes later, and still Rogue was in shock. "It'll take us days to get back to New York!"

She turned to look behind her, where Gambit was leaning against a road sign looking quite amused. "What the hell is so funny!?" she shouted at him.

"Nothin', cherie," he replied. "Just dat I can imagine worse situations."

Fuming, Rogue turned away from him and looked up and down the road one more time. She was stranded in the middle of no-where, unable to contact the X-Men and with her enemy who, apart from other things, was annoying the hell out of her. 'If he doesn't shut up,' she thought. 'I'm gonna drain the life out of his sorry...'

'No!' she shouted inside her head. 'Don't touch him again, you don't want his thoughts inside your head again.' Her anger turned to shock when she saw a car in the distance. She never took her eyes from it until it had pulled up beside them. Her shock quickly turned to happiness when the window opened.

"Hey dude, how much for your girl?" the passenger called out. He was in his twenties with short, blonde hair that looked like it hadn't been washed for days. The driver looked almost the same. She assumed that they had probably been on a road trip or gone to see a band or both.

Confused, Rogue behind her, then back to the car. The passenger was checking her out, top to bottom. Then he caught her eye and winked. She took a few steps back in surprise.

"Gotta say," the guy continued. "I love the leather you've got her in."

She finally caught on and looked sidewards to Gambit. He was laughing! They were stuck in the middle of nowhere, on a deserted road and the only car to appear in the last half hour thought that she was a whore! Once the initial amusement had run its course, the Cajun approached the car.

"So," the driver leaned across to talk to him. "How much?"

"A ride into the city," Gambit replied. "Den we'll negotiate. Deal?"

"Deal," both of the guys agreed in unison, huge smiles on their faces.

Smiling, Gambit opened the back door and walked over to Rogue. She grabbed his coat and pulled him closer. "You don't honestly think ah'm getting in a car with two retards who think I'm a hooker, do you?"

"Its either dat or y' stay out here for the next ride."

'Why am I here?' she thought. 'Why hasn't Logan, or Bobby, or anyone else, realised that I'm not there?' Maybe they were lying unconscious back in the factory, or perhaps they were testing her to see if she could survive out on her own.

Sighing, admitting she was defeated, she pushed Gambit to the side. With as much dignity as she could summon, she walked over to the car, opened the door and sat down as gracefully as she could onto the seat. She folded her arms, crossed her legs and stared out of the window. There wasn't anything to look at, but she didn't want to look the guys, or Gambit, in the eye right now. The Cajun got in beside her and the car started moving.

"So babe, what do you do?"

"Excuse me?" Rogue replied, glaring at the driver in the mirror.

"What are your prices? Do I get a full service or do I have to pay for each bit?"

"Hey!" the passenger exclaimed at his friend. "Don't you mean WE? Do WE get a full service?" He turned to look back at Rogue. "Do you do one at a time or both at once?"

Her features fixed in a mixture of anger and shock, Rogue sat forward and clenched her fist in her lap, ready to knock the guys out. However, Gambit's hand on her shoulder pulled her backwards and his other held her arms in her lap. Uncomfortable with where his hands were lurking, she glared straight into his eyes until he removed them.

"We sort dat out in the city," he said socially, still staring into Rogue's eyes. "But trust me, mes amis, you in for one hell of a surprise."

"I don't believe you!" Rogue exclaimed as she climbed out of the car and ran to the drivers door. "First you hitch us a lift by telling some guys I'm a hooker, then you kick Will's ass at poker, then when he wins one hand, you blow both him and Pete away!" She quickly attempted to check Pete's pulse but failed as she couldn't feel anything through her gloves.

She took a step back and looked over the roof to Gambit, who was leaning casually on it looking at her. Sighing, mainly through exhaustion rather than annoyance, she tilted her head at him. "What?"

"Roguey," he said. "Has anyone told y'dat you're stunning when you're angry?"

His compliment was returned by a piece of scrap metal being hurled at his head. He ducked, laughed and poked his head above the roof. "In case you haven't noticed, cherie, dese losers are fine."

He slowly began to walk around the front of the car, keeping eye contact with her. "The car is fine too," he continued. "So whaddaya say we ditch dese boys and continue our journey?" he asked.

"We can't leave them out here," Rogue reasoned. "They're hurt and they'll probably get mugged."

"Not if we mug them first," Gambit reasoned in return. He was now only a few inches from Rogue's face, staring deep into her eyes. That both annoyed her and comforted her. Because as she stared back, she found herself attracted to his black and red ones. She'd hate to admit it, but she did.

"No, we can't do that," she replied, taking a few steps back. "They could get hurt, and its wrong, and-"

She was cut off by Gambit pulling her closely and kissing her passionately. Even as the memories and thoughts flooded into her mind, she continued to kiss him for a few seconds until suddenly pulling away. He scrambled for support on the car bonnet, but wasn't nearly as weak as the last time she'd kissed him. Perhaps if she touched somebody enough times, they became immune?

"So," he said, regaining his energy and his composure. "Wanna take the car and some cash?"

"Fine by me."

Authors Note: What can I say? I felt really guilty about leaving you guys in the dark. So I screwed my Romy head back on and churned out another chapter. Sorry if its not up to the usual quality!


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